Thursday, July 30, 2009

Since I'm becoming increasingly adventurous and passionate about beverages, you better believe that during my June weekender in San Francisco that I did my share of R&D into their assorted liquid libations, especially given all the tales I've heard of their vibrant cocktail culture that pushes the envelope in every direction possible.

And I'm happy to report that San Francisco pretty much delivered on its potable promises, let's take a stroll through some of my favorite Nor. Cal. sips shall we?

Strawberry Alarm Clock at Alembic Bar - vermouth-soaked strawberries pureed up and mixed with malt whiskey, finished with a dash of tabasco and a few drops of parsley-peppermint oil; or as I call it, a party for your palate. From the pretty looks to its complex aromas (a mix of herbacious and fruity that reminds me of a summer salad laced with berries) and a festive mouthfeel and flavors, esp. with the heat-induced tingliness from the hot sauce. I wouldn't mind waking up to this every day!

Monk Buck at Heaven's Dog - made with 8 y/o Armagnac, yellow Chartreuse, organic ginger, lemon, soda; essentially a lemonade kicked up a notch with ginger and booze -- I'm usually skeptical of Chartreusey cocktails (whose herbal notes have a tendency to overwhelm the drink) but here it made the drink a little more intriguing and sophisticated--and totally cool, refreshing and perfect for lunch and brunch. Can't wait for this to join the regular cast of mimosas, bellinis and bloody marys as a daytime drink.

Ambajador at Bourbon & Branch (no pic of cocktail since photos aren't allowed at this by-reservations-only speakeasy, exterior pic courtesy of Caroline on Crack) - "recommended" by our saucy, tattooed, unnaturally crimson-haired and somewhat surly temptress of a server who told me, "No - this is what you want!" after I meekly tried to order something else. With kaffir lime-infused tequila, passionfruit nectar, lemon, foamed egg white and a dash of cinnamon - this, like the alarm clock, is a vibrant yet balanced blast of flavors on the tongue; I love the combination of the tropical fruits, slight vegetal edge from the tequila and the little spicy zing from the cinnamon, and the foam really lightened the texture and opened up different flavors and aromas. And that surly-sexy-temptress is right, this was exactly what I needed to end the night.

Mai Tai at Tonga Room - OK, the mai tai isn't all that (off balance with the juices and wound up being too tart and sweet at once) but the $10 pricetag to admire the elaborately decorated space was worth it -- from the huge tiki statues to assorted huts and the huge central pool. I was even lucky enough to catch a thunderstorm show!

Housemade Blood Orange-Hibsicus Sparkler at Nopalito - It's a virgin but still really tasty, this is another great summer sipper (esp. for situations where alchy may not be the way to go); just mildly tangy since it's mixed with sparking water, which also helps deliver the fresh aromas of the citrus and flower. Of course, given the many other luscious liquored-up libations I've had - can't help but think of possible ways to devirginize this drink . . .

Blogging and reminiscing about these dreamy drinks got me feeling like I left my heart in San Francisco; but given the evolving and ever-learning bartending scene here in L.A. I look forward to seeing some of these NorCal influences to filter down South -- and definitely can't wait to re-visit SF (and revisit some of these plus discovering new delicious stuff) later this year.

1 comments:

I'll be up in the bay in 4 weeks for a conference ... can't wait! and definitely planning to hit as many of these places as I possibly can while I'm at it. Alembic, B&B, Tonga Room definitely up there on the list.

LinkWithin

Blog and Web Search

Followers

H. C.

Lover of delicious eats, delightful drinks, quirky fun and life's adventuresNote on comp'd/freebies/paid-fors: the majority of foodventures are paid for out of my own pocket, but on occasions where meals/tastings are hosted, I will clearly note that I was invited and the post will be marked with a 'hosted' tag.